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Natural home gardeners don't have to stand by and watch ants cheekily attack vegetables. Effective household remedies put off the uninvited guests and never see them again. Explore 5 non-toxic measures when ants eat lettuce, kohlrabi & Co.

In a nutshell

  • The best way to prevent ants from eating vegetables is to put a flower pot with loose soil over the nest for gentle resettlement
  • application of nematodes of the species Steinernema feltiae scares ants away from the nest and vegetable garden
  • effective household remedies against ants on vegetable plants are repeated water showers, spreading algae lime and spraying plant manure

Relocate with flowerpot manoeuvre

The flower pot trick is one of the best methods against ants eating away at vegetables. During this manoeuvre, the ecologically valuable insects are quickly evacuated and relocated to a new home. Native ant species build their nests in the ground or as small mounds. To locate a burrow, follow the busiest running streets to the trailhead. How to properly relocate an ant colony:

  • Fill the clay flower pot with airy, loose potting soil
  • Place the bottom opening in the middle of the nest
  • Wait a week as a sufficient time window for the moving activities
  • Flower pot and nest move to a new location at least 100 meters away

In practice, this trick has proven itself extremely well, because ant workers cannot resist the sheltered, comfortable ambience in the sun-warmed, breathable clay pot for long. The clever workers will avoid plastic flower pots, however, because there is no exchange of air and the interior can heat up massively in direct sunlight.

Drive away with nematodes

Ants spend their entire lives protecting and caring for their brood. If alert workers sense a threat to the offspring, they piggyback the larvae and run away. With nematodes of the Steinernema feltiae species, you have an effective deterrent effect without side effects for people, animals and plants. You can buy the tiny roundworms as a powder in specialist shops and spread them out with a watering can. How to do it right:

Source: Bob Blaylock Whidou (date removal), 20100814 175958 FungusOnDeadnematode HarposporiumAnguillulae, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Order nematodes as living beneficial insects from specialist retailers just before you plan to use them
  • Dissolve clay mineral powder with nematodes in water according to manufacturer's instructions
  • Put the watering bar on the can spout
  • Pour nematode solution over the nest and runways

From a soil temperature of 12° Celsius, the nematodes are viable and active. The best time to apply is at dawn or after sunset. The presence of nematodes alarms all species of ants that eat vegetables in the garden. Immediately, scouts are sent out to keep an eye out for a new location and the plague comes to an end.

Notice: Did you know that garden ants are hard-working pest killers and garbage collectors? Insects of all kinds and their larvae are at the top of the menu. Carrion serves as a valuable source of protein and is consumed in no time at all.

Grind down with water

A damp apartment is anathema to every ant colony. Repeated watering of the nest and walkways with clear water prompts the uninvited guests in the vegetable garden to move promptly. So that the attrition tactic does not degenerate into an annihilation attack for the insects and adjacent vegetable plants, the nest and the floor should not be completely submerged.

A regular water supply is imperative.

Mess with algae lime

Organic gardeners swear by algae lime as the ideal vegetable fertilizer and natural remedy for ant damage on the leaves. The effectiveness of algae lime as a deterrent is based on the knowledge that ants avoid alkaline substances on vegetables. Scattered on the streets, the lime powder acts like a traveling barrier and confuses the workers. If you can locate the nest and powder it with algae lime, the entire colony will emigrate because the burrow has become uninhabitable.

Tip: Ecologically responsible hobby gardeners keep their hands off pseudo home remedies for fighting ants. Boiling water, baking soda, coffee grounds, and the beer-honey trap have come under criticism because these measures condemn valuable garden ants to a slow, agonizing death.

Scare away with plant manure

Plant manure is a tried and tested remedy in the home garden against annoying ants that eat lettuce, kohlrabi and other vegetables. The foul odor masks any scent markings that workers use to find their way to their food sources and back to the nest. Such uncomfortable conditions let the annoyed insects take to their heels. You can make effective plant manure yourself. That is how it goes:

  • recommended plants: wormwood, nettles, elderberry, mugwort, tansy
  • Put 500-1000 grams of fresh leaves or 40-60 grams of dried leaves in a wooden vat
  • Pour 10 liters of rainwater over it and stir vigorously
  • Cover the pot with rabbit wire and set it up in a partially shaded location
  • Leave to ferment for 14 days and stir daily

At the end of fermentation, the liquid manure is sieved and diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. Spray the deterrent over the nest and runways in the morning or evening hours. Repeat the application several times until there are no more nibbled vegetable leaves.

frequently asked Questions

Can ants be repelled with essential scents?

Each ant has sophisticated olfactory sensors in its antennae that help it find its way, recognize fellow ants, and locate food sources. Volatile, weak fragrances provide good service. In contrast, strong, ethereal odors cause intense sensory overload that triggers the instinct to flee. For this reason, you can drive away ant soldiers with camphor, bay leaf, eucalyptus, lemon balm and other essential scents. Simply lay out branches and leaves on the walkways and in the vegetable patch.

Does controlling aphids also help against ants?

An important source of food for all native ant species are the excrements of aphids. Queens, workers and offspring alike feast on the sugar-sweet honeydew. For this reason, ant colonies that eat the vegetables are rarely found in aphid-free gardens.

Which plant neighbors repel ants?

Numerous herbs and aromatic plants exude an intense odor that garden ants can't stand. If you associate vegetables with basil, thyme, marjoram, lavender, tansy, nasturtium or rue, ant workers will give your valuable crops a wide berth in search of food.

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Category:

Garden pests